My husband and I have been going to Casa Vasca for 30+ years. We have never experienced any form of racism or rudeness from the staff. The staff has always been very accommodating and courteous. We are not of Spanish heritage and have not found that ever to be an issue. We have celebrated many special occasions there with family and friends over the years. read more

If you want a great meal, served with a smile in a welcoming family oriented restaurant...Casa Vasca is the place for you! From the moment you walk in you are treated like family. Something that is a rarity in 2026! The first thing you are offered is soup. Along with fresh baked bread. My favorite dish is the shrimp in garlic (camarones al ajillo), simple but delicious. Served with yellow rice & spanish potatoes. Dont forget to dip the bread in the garlicky sauce! Finish your meal with an espresso & a flan catalan (if you have room). I have enjoyed many, many meals at Casa Vasca & have always been treated like a member of the family. Never a rude server. A+ service. Casa Vasca is not just a restaurant, for some of us who grew up in the area, its home! And you know what they say, "theres no place like home"! read more

If I can give 0 stars here, I definitely would. Extremely rude and racist staff. They are basically racist against anyone who are not Spanish. We came in with a group of six and ordered paella to share together. Everything was fine in the beginning, and they even served soup and bread to us. Then our group was quite surprised when we looked at the bill and found out we were charged $20 for the soup. I mean it would be totally fine if they didn't serve us the soup. But they didn't notify us about the charge for the soup and gave us the option to opt-out. Basically, they imposed an extra order of the soup on us without our permission. Then when we split the bill among our group, the staff gave us a nasty attitude with rolling eyes. I mean. How our group handled the bill and split the payments among our members is none of your fucking business. Save your money and avoid this at all costs. Don't even want to call them a restaurant since they are not even qualified to be one. There are so many better places with much friendlier services in the area. read more

I sat at the bar and had garlic shrimp and cod croquettes and both were delicious. Sat and talked to some of the locals and regulars at the bar, which gave it a very homie feel. Don't be afraid to talk to people you don't know, they'll surprise you. Surface was great very attentive. I would recommend even though I had some appetizers and didn't have any entrée. But from what I saw, the entrées looked delicious. And smelled good too. read more

I'm not of Spanish heritage and have never been treated poorly. Have eaten lunch there twice in the past fortnight. My wife was a little disappointed in the paella but I was quite pleased with my monkfish. Coincidentally the Coors Light tap was empty today so the waiter offered me the other draught choice, Budweiser. I never drink that and it dawned on me to make a comment. Why doesn't Maria the owner get that tap out of her restaurant as Budweiser abandoned Newark? I spend a lot of time in Spain and I know the dishes on the menu. I believe they do a good job! read more

My parents and I used to live in Spain, and Casa Vasca is one of the few Spanish restaurants in the U.S. we actually enjoy going to. We love the paella -- authentic, flavorful, and reminds us of our time in Spain -- and the octopus is also fantastic, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The prices are very reasonable, making it a great spot for a hearty meal. The only downside was the Old Fashioned, which was terrible and not worth ordering. Aside from that, it's a solid place for anyone craving real Spanish flavors without leaving the U.S. read more

This time I came to Casa Vasca for lunch with just one other person. Oh boy did I eat a big meal. I had forgotten that every entrée comes house soup, a leek soup with some chunks of meat. it was pretty tasty. I was most excited though for my veal with ham and mushrooms in a white wine sauce. Man that hit the spot. I almost finished the entire thing. Service was quick and unobtrusive. In other words, perfect. Yea, definitely still recommend. read more

Always The Best Service. The Owner Maria Is Spectacular We Have Been Going To This Fantastic Restaurant For About 30 Yrs. Our Families Preferred Place. Foot Is Amazing... Service Exemplary We Are Always Treated Very Well. This Time I Had Catering For A Baptism Celebration At Home. Exceeded My Already Very High Expectations. Thank You Always read more

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I've been here for dinner a few times, and it's always been a good experience, especially for the price. Last time I got the paella valenciana, and it was so big that the leftovers were plenty for the next day too! The ambiance is perfect for a nice dinner without having to dress up too formally. The servers are also very attentive, and we got some complimentary soup that was pretty yummy! This time, I got the chorizo appetizer and the octopus (which I think is usually on the daily specials menu). The chorizo was a little too salty/crispy for my taste, but the octopus was phenomenal. It was perfectly cooked and just flavorful enough without overpowering the taste of the octopus. I also got a creme brulee for dessert, which was pretty good! read more

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Came here for lunch and the food was amazing, the food was on point and fresh, and the ambiance was enjoyable. I believe we ordered a paella valenciana, a fish dish (i forgot the name), and almejas en salsa verde. We had complimentary soup free of charge. Everything was tasty and in big portion. We had more food than we could eat. I believe next time we come here will order less. Overall, this place is amazing for lunch. There is a private parking lot, so no need to worry about finding street parking : ) read more

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Went there oct-16-25 for dinner. Ordered grill salmon and filet mignon. Grilled salmon was not grilled. It was fried and it was so oily it was disgusting. filet mignon was a burnt piece of meat that must've been cooked and returned several times from tables previous to being served to us we mentioned it to the waiter, and they were very apologetic. They offered to charge us for the drinks only I told them we were not looking for anything free, but they insisted so. We only paid for the drinks, but this place is a dive. I would never go back there again they have the audacity to serve that garbage to their customers . we only had a couple of bites each of our food. It really was not edible and I have photos to prove it.. read more

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Casa Vasca is a Spanish restaurant located at in the heart of the Ironbound section of Newark, NJ. The restaurant's situation at the corner of the street and has a parking lot a couple of properties over. The main entrance puts you at their bar and the door beyond opens into the dining area. When I attended, I was with a large party and we took over several tables. The wait staff was quick and attentive. The food, on the other hand, was a bit of a hit or miss and a little lack luster. Our servers started off with bringing us warm rolls and pitchers of sangria. We all thought the sangria was mediocre. We think that the pitchers of sangria maybe had been sitting for a while with the ice in it, making the sangria watery and not very flavorful. The appetizers I liked were the bacalou bites and chorizo. The shrimp had an off putting smell, which almost prevented me from trying them, but nonetheless were good and flavorful. They kept refilling our bread which I didn't know if I loved or hated (lol) Just kidding - their rolls are delicious. After the apps, we got Paella, salad and steak. The steak was good and I enjoyed the paella minus the lobster. My family members and I all agreed on that. My grandma thought it tasted maybe like it had been frozen. We couldn't quite pinpoint why we didn't enjoy it. For dessert, they had many options. Tiramisu, chocolate mousse, orange cake and flan. I ordered a tiramisu and a cappuccino. My cappuccino was okay, but my dessert was 10/10. This restaurant has been around for decades and is a staple in the ironbound. For this reason, I am sure it will continue to be successful for decades to come. For me, I had an okay experience but nothing wow-ed me - culinary wise (the tiramisu was the best I've had, though), service wise or regarding the atmosphere or restaurant itself. Parking lot a couple of businesses over. read more

Horrible reviews seem to be the standard in today's world. Every part of a persons dining experience is microscopically reviewed, mentally checked off and compared to Michelin service or getting freebies as if they have a rewards system. Of course, restaurants are going to have bad days with service, food, and the atmosphere can be "off"; it's normal. I can only attest to how many times I have dined here over the past 20 years which I can only compare it to a person going to Starbucks/DD on a daily basis. The food was always good (Stuffed Filet of Sole is my favorite), the soup of the day is always fresh (The garlic one is great). The drinks are drinks; they're regular bartenders not Brooklyn Mixologists. The bar is loud and vibrant as it should be and the dining room is quiet for a more serene dining experience. The staff is as friendly and any other place. I've had more than my fair share of rude service at other places and I just don't return. Running a food establishment is not an easy task. It is dedication, grit, and long hours that take a toll on you mentally, and physically. Many places don't survive their first year and for any restaurant to be around for almost 50 years, it says something. read more

Terrible! Watery sangria- Fish was not edible...loaded with bones - told 'maybe that's how they do it to save money'- Filet mignon was terrible Paella was mushy Service was decent A complete waste of money - Go next door if you want GREAT food read more

Just up from Florida and I needed a good Spanish food fix so I stopped in Newark's Ironbound and parked at Casa Vasca. The seafood was fresh and the sangria tangy. Their home made flan topped off the meal and a snifter of 43 finished the experience with class. When you go, on site parking if you get there early enough. And the Portuguese rolls are wonderful. read more

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This place is like home! Service is very good and the staff were very friendly! Food is also amazing! We've had the empanadas, almejas and the lenguado a la francesa. Can't wait to come back! read more

Casa Vasca - Empanada - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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What a little hidden gem this place is! Definitely a more family style restaurant with extremely reasonable pricing. Everyone at my table (party of 4) ordered our own entrées which we would of been totally fine probably ordering 2 and just sharing. Portions are pretty big for the price you pay, I'd recommend sharing some main dishes rather than everyone getting their own plate. Food was very flavorful and delicious. You get a complimentary soup and bread with your meal and both are extremely delicious. Went in to this place not really knowing what I was getting into but WOW I wasn't disappointed. Had a great experience here! read more

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When you want delicious food, an atmosphere that is warm and cozy, and service that is swift and caring, Casa Vasca is the place to be. We have come here numerous times and have never been disappointed. Maria makes sure that everything runs smoothly. Tonight we had some of our usuals, Pork Chops in Garlic Sauce, Chicken in Garlic Sauce, Skirt Steak, and Sirloin. Tonight we added in the special Salmon Steak, Shrimp, and Clams in a green sauce-DELICIOUS!!!!! read more

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Friends and I spent a pleasant afternoon at this restaurant. The paella was delicious and the serving was such that I will eat it for several meals. They have a parking lot which makes it easy to visit. I recommend you visit too! read more

I absolutely love this restaurant the staff the waiters are so courteous so friendly so accommodating the owner Maria is just a delight. I had the privilege of introducing three of my girlfriends to this restaurant although we live an hour away we were in Newark at an event and Casa Vasca was number one on my choices to have dinner and share it with them. They absolutely raved about the food. The ambience, the servers everything they loved it. Nancy D read more

The undiscovered gem to most, and maybe because the location is quite an inconvenience in terms of traffic. Parking is not a problem though since they have their own parking lot! Now as to food, ambience and service. Triple A for all three categories. The servers are all friendly and respectful. The food was and is always phenomenal. We had gambas, callos, seafood paella, bacalao and the desserts that were all mouth-watering! The soup and the rolls to start with were so fresh and delicious. Ambience is great if you want a not-so-quiet dinner. You'll see one table for two, and another table for a family gathering. or a party of friends. This place is worth going to again and again. Now if only traffic wasn't so bad in Newark! read more

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I went there last night to celebrate my anniversary along with my husband. The place was empty night Only two other tables couldn't imagine until we tasted the food I had a huge that tasted like and my husband a bland flavorless paella.that had no flavor no seasoning and I realize that the menu has stayed the same for at least the last 10 years since I've been going they need a new cook and a new menu I don't recommend this place at all. There's so many other places to get good authentic Spanish food. I was very disappointed. I really was looking forward to great food for $160 we could have gotten something really nice read more

Great food and best sangria in all of New Jersey! Never disappoints. Great service too!

One our favorite Spanish / Portuguese spots in Newark. They have a nice European feel and the food and service are terrific. One thing they do which is unique is that each meal comes with a free bowl of the soup of the day and they are always delicious. read more

Casa Vasca - Potato leek soup - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Nice spot to hit up by the Prudential Center, "Ironbound" section of Newark. This Spanish restaurant offers "Basque" cuisines more geared towards fish and shellfish. What makes it a great place is the authentic meals, and freshness of the ingredients including the seafood. I stopped in for pre-game drinks and appetizer, and did not stay for a full dinner. They have a small bar section located on the side of the restaurant which had 3-4 small tables of 4 seats per table. You can also sit at the small bar to dine. There was 1 TV where you could watch some sports. The fresh rolls that came out hot were very delicious. I was able to break it apart easily, and use to dip into my appetizer dish. The grilled baby squid marinated in oil and garlic was that good. Had to incorporate the bread to wipe the plate, and get every last drop of those flavors. It came along with a side of some plain boiled potatoes. In this section of Newark parking can be tough. You may have to park a block or two, maybe few away and walk to this restaurant. You can also pay a fee to park in one of the lots nearby. Depending if there is a sporting event in the Prudential Center the price for parking may be higher than normal. This restaurant is definitely worth the visit if you're interested in fresh seafood cooked up in an authentic Spanish style with great flavors. I will definitely come back for a full dine-in experience as the menu had a lot to offer. read more

Casa Vasca - Baby squid cooked in garlic & oil - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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A very solid choice when dining in the Ironbound. It's a bit hidden from Ferry Street but to me, that's a nice plus. Started with a couple of icy cold Estrellas and tasty garlic shrimp. Bread in Newark is always amazing so save some for dipping. Complimentary soup hit the spot on a chilly night. Pork chops 'extreme' were very good as was the chicken and shrimp in a champagne sauce. Tables are slightly tight in the main dining room and the atmosphere is bustling and lively. I actually like to sit in their bar room. Much more casual/relaxed and while a bit stark, has a real local feel. Can linger here for hours if desired. Service was efficient and more or less friendly. Parking can be tricky on a busy night. They do have a lot but it is small and can fill up. Great that they have an attendant who helps manage and keep an eye on things. read more

We are starting to make the rounds of the Ironbound district and on the 4th of July Casa Vasca was our choice. Casa Vasca has a private lot with and attendant that watches the car which is great. Finding on street parking can be difficult. One enters the restaurant through a bar area that has some tables for dining. The main dining room is clean with tile floors and tile half walls. Service at Casa Vasca was both friendly and impeccable. Similar to some of the other Ironbound restaurants we have sampled, service is old world European. Dinner entrees were served with the soup of day which was a very good Chicpea and vegetable. We ordered the salmon stuffed with crabmeat, bronzino and grilled lamb chops. Everything was very good and a fairly large portion. The lamb chops were very reasonable at $22.00. We finished it off with a very good cappuccino and two desserts. We did not order drinks but the restaurant has a full bar. We had a very pleasant dinner at Casa Vasca and we would definitely go back. 4 Yelp stars. read more

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Amazing food. What i heard this restaurant has been there for 40 yrs so i guess there is a reason for that. Service is awesome and food simply delicious ....must try their Goat dish kind of a stew, and they only make on weekends. We will come back again to try other dishes in the menu. read more

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Food was delicious! I had Chorizo A La Parrilla, Calamares A La Romana, Champinones Rellenos, and soup of the day was delicious. It was so flavorful. Staff was friendly. It's a small space with parking lot. Highly recommend. Great wine collection. read more

Authentic Spanish food - nothing fancy/shi-shi about this place, just solid quality food, a very extensive menu, at a decent price (especially when you factor in the price of glasses of Rioja house wine and a good-sized bowl of free soup and bread to start the meal!) Especially if you like seafood, this place is worth a visit. read more

Casa Vasca - Pulpo Gallega and seafood mariscada - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Sad to say, gave it another try and left wanting again. We've been going for 40+ years and the last few times it's been disappointing. Clams casino good. Veal Chops were unseasoned and not cooked to order (Medium rare). Side vegetables seemed canned or bagged. Veal Casa Vasca came out lukewarm and looked like it was possibly reheated/microwaved and needed seasoning. The Shrimp and Octopus was ok, but lacking in flavor. I don't drink, but company said sangria was decent, but lacked punch. Complimentary soup, (Lentil) again lacking in flavor and lukewarm. read more

My parents took me here in the 1980's. Thankfully, pretty much nothing has changed. One of my all-time favorite restaurants. If you love food, if you love authenticity, this is the place. read more

Disappointing. Being from the Basque Country myself, I was so looking forward to Casa Vasca but my expectations were too high. Very few traditional Basque items on the menu, and the execution was just ok. To add insult to injury, I was charged an additional 3% "credit card fee" with the check without any prior warning. Sadly, I don't think I will return. read more

Casa Vasca - cars parked on the side of the street - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Every parameter was good! One should take advantage of the bacala pill pill, the code fish done the basque way

This place never disappoints. The food is always delicious and fresh. The bread is hot and fresh and soup is something different and warming. The servers are always welcoming. It was super busy on Mother's Day and they were not rushing us out. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Ironbound. read more

I wasn't sure what to really expect when I was coming to dinner at Casa Vasca but I'm so glad I did. My first thought was I hope I find parking, which I did since they have a small parking lot on the same block where the restaurant is located but about two houses down. Complimentary parking is always a plus, especially in Ironbound. When you first walk in, you're immediately in a small bar, but then they direct you the dinning area which is small and cozy. The servers where all courteous and very helpful making sure everyone was satisfied with their meal and drinks at all times. The food was very good, from the freshly warm bread made & delicious soup down to their dessert and last but not least their cappuccinos! read more

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Fun fact: Casa Vasca is the one and only restaurant I have eaten at in the state of New Jersey. I had no idea that New Jersey had such a big Portuguese population. But I'm very glad that I was able to try some Portuguese food and experience some Portuguese/New Jersey culture. Coming from hawaii, the only Portuguese I've experienced has been at McDonald's for breakfast (Portuguese sausage, eggs and rice, please!). I guess the ukulele also may have had some Portuguese influence. Either way, I had no idea what authentic Portuguese food was like. Casa Vasca serves delicious Portuguese food. We ordered the chorizo (much better than McDonald's, but more burnt), the garlic shrimp (wow, simple, but maybe one of my favorites of the night), paella (yum!) and the seafood stew with green sauce. Oh and how can I forget the sangria? Both red and white sangria is offered at Casa Vasca, but we had the classic red. Delicious. Dinner here comes with the soup of the day and a basket of bread, rice and potatoes. The soup we had was chickpea and I honestly am not a fan of chick peas at all. I don't even really like hummus. This soup was amazing! I t was flavorful and I ate all the chickpeas! The seafood dishes were also very delicious and I particularly liked the green sauce. The service was kind of weird. The waiters are all very interestingly dressed in fancy suits, but they aren't friendly....maybe it's a New Jersey thing. There is a parking lot a few lots before the restaurant, which is nice because finding street parking looked rather impossible. read more

Casa Vasca - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Off a random street corner in the Ironbound section of Newark, you'll find this quiet little restaurant serving up traditional Spanish food. You'll get a basket of warm bread to start and can't go wrong ordering seafood dishes here. The service is prompt and they even have a small parking lot, which is rare in this town full of street parking. read more

Casa Vasca - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

We are three executives who formerly worked in Newark and were introduced to Casa Vasco about five years ago. We meet there for lunch periodically and it is the only restaurant we visit (we've been to others in the past, none measure up). The food is consistently outstanding as is the service. Today we had a black bean and onion soup that was superb and two of us had the Camarones Enchilados which were mildly spicy, delicious and more than ample portions for a luncheon dish. Out other guest had salmon and raved about it. The dining area (there is a separate bar room) is white tablecloth, the wait staff is attentive and the ambience is very pleasant and quiet so we can carry on a conversation comfortably. This has to be one of the best restaurants in Newark and the entire Newark area. Five stars for all five years! read more

I heard of this place thru a coworker who highly recommended it. She is Portuguese, knows the Ironbound area very well. First I tested her - I asked if Rio Rodizio on route 22 was authentic or any good. She almost snarled at me. Good response. So it was I arrived here with high expectations and wanted to fall in love with the place from the get-go. I love Portuguese - great food, good bang for the buck, portions are awesome. It's kinda like Chinese in that way, except they have delicious sangria and no fish tanks. First thing I noticed was that they have their own parking lot with a parking attendant watching your car. This is important in Newark! Also, it is not valet - you don't gotta give up your keys. Awesome. More about the parking guy later. On to the food: The lobster in spicy sauce wasn't that spicy. It had a little bit of spice to it and the flavor was all right, not as awesome as it looks in the pictures on yelp. The portion looked large but actually it's only one lobster and hence not that much meat you are getting for $24. It was cooked well though. 3/5 The paella valencia we ordered had several human hairs stuck to the chicken. They offered to make us another after we plucked em out and carefully inspected the dish but I said don't bother. I didn't want to waste the whole thing. The portion size was pretty big, the taste was ok - not quite as flavorful as I would have wanted (especially the chicken). I appreciated it wasn't very greasy and not too salty though. The mussels were tiny and not great in flavor but there was a good amount of scallops and shrimp. 3/5 The sirloin steak with fries and veggies was a great deal - 14 bucks. I wanted it medium rare but it came out well done. Flavor was not bad, not great. I definitely make better steak at home. Good price though - 4/5. Sangria was not bad - tasty and home made but not very strong. 4/5 Service by the waitstaff was very good. The parking guy was a bit annoying when we left though. I know he has a thankless job and he was stationed in a lil cubby hole in the cold but that still doesn't mean he gets to keep pounding hard on the side of my car when he didn't like the direction I was slowly backing out my car. Relax dude I have a backup cam and I wasn't close to hitting anything. He just wanted to make sure I come out a certain way and make a u-turn rather than try to make a left. Just say something next time instead of banging, geez. He was older, walked with a limp, emerged from his cubby like he was swamp thing or something. Otherwise I woulda said something to him. Maybe it was an off night but I've had better meals at Al Garve in Elizabeth. read more

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